Fluid dispensing apparatus



p 1958 c. L. ZABRISKIE 2,850,212

FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19. 1954 INVENTOR9 CHARL E5 L.ZABRISK|E ATTORNEYS Sept. 2, 1958 c. L. ZQABRISKIE FLUIDDISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed Aug. 19, 1954 INVENTORCHARLES L. ZABRISKIE ATTORNEYS p 2, 1958 c. L..ZABRISKIE 2,850,212

VFLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3\NVENTOR CHARLES L. ZABRISKIE v BY 1/ ATTORNE S United States PatentOFLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Charles L. Zabriskie, New York, N. Y.Application August 19, 1954, Serial No. 450,849

10 Claims. (Cl. 222103) This invention relates to a fluid dispensingapparatus adapted to discharge fluid, contained in replaceable andremovable flexible bags, in a predetermined direction.

This invention utilizes a fluid dispensing package such as the containerdisclosed in my pending application Serial No. 248,073, filed September24, 1951, now Patent No. 2,759,547, entitled, Fluid Dispensing Packageand Container Therefor, or any other fluid container such as describedhereinafter. It has been found that the fluid dispensing bag comprisinga flexible container containing a fluid, requires, especially in thelarger sizes, a means of applying external pressure thereto to assurethe steady and complete emptying of the container. It is an object ofthe present invention to provide an apparatus adapted to aid the user inexerting pressure on the fluid container whereby the fluid is dischargedthrough the container orifice in a steady stream with a resultantsubstantially complete emptying of the container. It is a further objectof this invention to provide a simple holder for the fluid containerwhereby the fluid container can be easily inserted and removed asrequired.

An embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the fluid container;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view, partially cut away, of the fluiddispensing apparatus comprising the fluid container and holder therefor;

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the holder and a portion of thefluid container entering said holder;

. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the holder and fluid container,with the fluid container in position in the holder;

Figure 5 is a top view of the holder, partially cut away, showing theplacement of the handle in respect to the spring and holder;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6;

Figure 7 is a view showing the depressor member, handle and springassembly; and

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the fluid dispensing apparatuscomprising a fluid container and holder therefor in operationdischarging the fluid from the apparatus.

As illustrated in Figure l the fluid container 1 may be constructed froma flexible material in accordance with my pending application Serial No.248,073. The container has a mouth portion 2 proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid in the container through an orifice which is formedwhen the grommet 3 is pulled from the container. This pulling action ismade easier by the ring 4 which passes through the grommet and whichwhen pulled removes .the grommet from the container thus forming anorifice through which the fluid can pass as pressure is applied to thecontainer. The container is formed of two sheets of flexible material,such as polyvinyl alcohol, and the two sheets are sealed along seal 5 asshown in Figure l.

The fluid container may have other shapes which are generally oblong sothat the container will fit in the 2,850,212 Patented Sept. 2, 1958holder 6. Rather than providing the container with a grommet asdescribed above, other means for forming an orifice in the container maybe utilized such as a sharpened point hinged to the container or anyother means of piercing the container. One of the properties ofpolyvinyl alcohol, which has been suggested as a container material, isthat it will not tear away from an orifice as pressure is applied to thecontainer with a resultant discharge through the orifice. Thus anyorifice that is formed will serve to direct the fluid passingtherethrough in accordance with the original shape of the orifice.

Another means of providing an orifice in the container is to delineate arelatively small area of the wall of the container with a narrowperimetric portion which has a lesser thickness than the rest of thecontainer so that this portion will rupture when suflicient pressure isapplied to the container. When this thinner and thus weaker portionruptures a line of rupture will result around the small area and thesmall area will be forced out of the wall leaving a discharge orificethrough which the fluid will discharge as pressure is applied to thecontainer.

Referring to Figs. 24 the fluid container 1 slides down into the openend of the rigid holder 6 which is formed of four sides and a closedend. To operate the fluid dispensing apparatus, as illustrated in Figure8, the grommet 3 is pulled out of the container thus forming an orifice7 through which the fluid 8 can be forced. The force or pressure isapplied to the container when in position in the holder by pressingagainst one side of the container While three sides of the holder holdthe container in position. accomplished by pressing inwardly on one ofthe four sides of the holder which is disconnected and free to moveinwardly or as illustrated in the drawings may be accomplished by havinga movable plate 9 within the holder which can be moved to squeeze thefluid container and thus force the fluid through the orifice 7. Themovable plate 9 may be substantially parallel to a side of the holder asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 thus functioning when forced inwardly muchas a side of the container would function when forced inwardly. Anotherillustration, as shown in Fig. 3, shows the plate hinged along one endto a side adjacent the closed end 10 of the container by a hook 11 andgroove 12 arrangement. In the latter illustration, where the plate ishinged along one end, the plate may be forced to pivot on the hingearrangement and squeeze the container disposed between the plateand aside of the holder thus forcing the fluid to discharge from thecontainer.

Any means can be utilized to force the plate 9 against the fluidcontainer 1 and thus squeeze the container between the plate and sidesto force the fluid from the container. One illustration of a means ofexerting pres-,

sure against the plate to force it against the container is shown in theaccompanying drawings. A depressor member 13 is disposed between theplate 9 and a side of the holder. The top end of the depressor member,as shown an inverted yoke shaped wire, is rotatably secured to a shaft14 and the lower end bears, through a roller 15, on the plate. A springor as shown a pair of helical springs 16 is wound on the shaft 14 withone end 17 of each spring encircling and bearing against the depressormember to spring bias the depressor member between the plate and side ata predetermined tension. end of each spring is attached to a handle 18which may be rotated in such a manner that the helical spring or springs16 are tightened thus increasing the bearing pressure of the other endor ends 17 of the springs against the plate with a resultant forcing ofthe plate away from the one side and toward the fluid container 1 whichis disposed between the plate and the other three sides. The housing 19for the helical spring or springs is notched This pressure or force maybe- The other with notches 20 so that the handle can be rotated to anydesired position with a related tightening of the spring or springs andwith a related pressure against the fluid container.

Thus in operation the operator takes a fluid container 1 and slides itinto the rigid holder 6 between the plate 9 and a side opposed to theside the depressor member 13 bears against. Next an orifice is formed inthe container. In the embodiment illustrated the operator, with the aidof the ring 4, pulls the grommet 3 from the fluid container, the platenow bearing against the container sufficiently due to the initial andpredetermined spring bias that the fluid container will not slide backout of the holder during this grommet removing operation. Once thegrommet is removed the tapered mouth portion 2 is so shaped that anyfluid passing through the orifice 7, resulting from the removal of thegrommet, is directed in a predetermined manner. Thus if the fluid is afire extinguishing fluid, such as carbon tetrachloride, it can bedirected onto the fire to be controlled or extinguished.

The operator next rotates the handle 18 to any desired notch 20 and thisrotation tightens the helical springs 16 so that the ends 17 thereofbear against and depress the depressor member 13. This serves to depressthe plate 9 and squeeze the fluid container to discharge the fluidtherefrom. As the fluid stops discharging the operator can set thehandle in succeeding notches until the fluid is exhausted. With releaseof pressure on the handle the handle will rotate in the oppositedirection to its initial position and the plate will be lifted away fromthe fluid container by the upward lift of the roller on the housing 21attached to the plate so that the container may be removed, a fullcontainer inserted, and the above operation repeated as many times asdesired.

Another method of operation is to insert a container filled with fluid,rotate the handle 18 to a desired notch 20 thus exerting pressure on thefluid container and then as desired pulling the grommet 3 away from thebag to form an orifice with a resultant discharge of fluid commensuratewith the setting of the handle.

In the event that there are not enough of these apparatus for allpersons in the vicinity desiring to eject fluid onto a fire forinstance, it must be realized that the fluid container may be exhaustedby hand pressure in accordance with application Serial Number 248,073 aswell as by the apparatus of this invention.

It will be realized that the handle 18 may be connected to the depressormember directly with a hinge rotatably attaching these members at theirpoint of joinder to a side of the holder. Any rotation of the handlewill then be transferred directly to the plate through the depressormember with a resultant increase of pressure due to the lever actionabout the hinge as a fulcrum.

Further it is contemplated that the so called depressor member 15 in theform of a wire yoke can be disposed around and under the plate 9, thecontainer can be placed in the holder between the plate and the side ofthe holder from which the yoke depends and a lever or spring action canbe so arranged that with rotation of the handle the yoke will lifttoward the side from which the yoke depends with a resultant similarpressure as described above acting on the container.

The pressure applied to the fluid container by the above operationalsteps is a steadier and greater pressure than is generally possible bysimply squeezing the container in the hands. This results in a moreuniform ejection having a longer trajectory which is generally desiredin using the apparatus as for fighting fires.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A portable fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directedstream of fluid comprising a removable container having a flexible wallfor confining said fluid, said wall having a relatively small and arelatively large area, a narrow perimetric portion joining saidrelatively small area and said relatively large area, said portionhaving a lesser thickness than the thickness of said area, said portiondefining a line of rupture between said relatively small area andrelatively large area to provide a discharge orifice from saidcontainer, said portion adapted to rupture by increased internalpressure in said container a rigid means for holding said container anda means manually controlled acting in conjunction with said holdingmeans to exert pressure on said container whereby said portion willrupture and the fluid will discharge through said discharge orifice.

2. A fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directed streamof fluid comprising a removable flexible container containing said fluidand having a mouth portion forming an orifice proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid passing therethrough, a rigid holder for said containerenclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable plate disposed withinand substantially parallel and adjacent one side of said holder, adepressor member disposed between said plate and said one side, a springadapted to spring bias said depressor member with a predeterminedpressure between said plate and said one side and a means of increasingthe tension of said spring to force the plate away from the one sidetoward the container disposed between said plate and the other threesides of the holder whereby the fluid is discharged from the container.

3. A fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directed streamof fluid comprising a removable flexible container containing said fluidand having a mouth portion forming an orifice proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid passing therethrough, a rigid holder for said containerenclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable plate disposed withinsaid holder, said plate being hinged along one end to a first sideadjacent the said closed end of said holder, a depressor member disposedbetween said plate and a second side opposite said first side, a springadapted to spring bias said depressor member with a predeterminedpressure between said plate and said second side, and a means ofincreasing the tension of said spring to force the free end of saidplate toward said first side whereby the fluid is discharged from thecontainer which is disposed between said plate and said first side.

4. A fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directed streamof fluid comprising a removable flexible container containing said fluidand having a mouth portion forming an orifice proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid passing therethrough, a rigid holder for said containerenclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable plate disposed withinand substantially parallel, and adjacent one side of said holder, adepressor member disposed between said plate and said one side, at leastone helical spring one end of which bears against said depressor memberto spring bias said depressor member with a predetermined pressurebetween said plate and said one side and a handle attached to the otherend of each helical spring, said handle adapted to rotate about the axisof each helical spring with a resultant varying of the tension of thespring whereby when the spring tension is increased the depressor memberforces the plate away from the one side toward the container disposedbetween said plate and the other three sides of the holder whereby thefluid is discharged from the container.

5. A fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directed streamof fluid comprising a removable flexible container containing said fluidand having a mouth portion forming an orifice proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid passing therethrough, a rigid holder for said containerenclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable plate disposed withinsaid holder, said plate being hinged along one end to a first sideadjacent the said closed end of said holder, a depressor member disposedbetween said plate and a second side opposite said first side, at leastone helical spring one end of which bears against said depressor memberto spring bias said depressor member with a predetermined pressurebetween said plate and said second side and a handle attached to theother end of each helical spring, said handle adapted to rotate aboutthe axis of each helical spring with a resultant varying of the tensionof the spring whereby when the spring tension is increased the depressormember forces the free end of the plate away from the said second sidetoward the container disposed between said plate and said first sidewhereby the fluid is discharged from the container.

6. A fluid dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, in which the fluidto be dispensed is carbon tetrachloride.

7. A fluid dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, in which theflexible container is constructed of a polyvinyl alcohol film.

8. A fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directed streamof fluid comprising a removable flexible container containing said fluidand having a mouth portion forming an orifice proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid passing therethrough, :a rigid holder for saidcontainer enclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable platedisposed within and substantially parallel and adjacent one side of saidholder, a depressor member formed of a yoke shaped wire disposed betweensaid plate and said one side, a pair of helical springs one end of eachbearing against said depressor member to spring bias said depressormember with a predetermined pressure between said plate and said oneside and a yoke shaped handle attached to the other ends of the helicalsprings, said handle adapted to rotate about the axis of the saidsprings with a resultant varying of the tension of the springs wherebywhen the tension of the springs is increased the depressor member forcesthe plate away from the one side toward the container disposed betweensaid plate and the other three sides of the holder whereby the fluid isdischarged from the container.

9. A fluid dispensing apparatus adapted to discharge a directed streamof fluid comprising a removable flexible container containing said fluidand having a mouth portion forming an orifice proportioned and shaped todirect any fluid passing therethrough, a rigid holder for said containerenclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable plate disposed withinsaid holder, said plate being hinged along one end to a first sideadjacent the said closed end of said holder, a depressor member formedof a yoke shaped wire disposed between said plate and a second sideopposite said first side, a pair of helical springs one end of eachbearing against said depressor member to spring bias said depressormember with a predetermined pressure between said plate and said secondside and a yoke shaped handle attached to the other ends of the helicalsprings, said handle adapted to rotate about the axis of the saidsprings with a resultant varying of the tension of the springs wherebywhen the tension of the springs is increased the depressor member forcesthe free end of the plate away from the said second side toward thecontainer disposed between said plate and said first side whereby thefluid is discharged from the container. 10. A portable fluid dispensingapparatus adapted to discharge a directed stream of fluid comprising amovable container having a flexible wall for confining said fluid, saidwall having a relatively small and a relatively large area, a narrowperimetric portion joining said relatively small area and relativelylarge area, said portion having a lesser thickness than the thickness ofsaid area, said portion defining a line of rupture between saidrelatively small area and relatively large area to provide a dischargeorifice from said container, said portion adapted to rupture byincreasing internal pressure in said container, a rig-id holder for saidcontainer enclosed on four sides and at one end, a movable platedisposed within said holder and a means manually controlled acting inconjunction with said holder to force said plate inwardly and exertpressure on said container whereby said portion will rupture and thefluid will discharge through said discharge orifice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS103,640 Merritt May 31, 1870 1,311,085 Mucher July 22, 1919 1,320,275Roach Oct. 28, 1919 1,467,009 Peterson .a Sept. 4, 1923 1,859,174Sassano May 17, 1932 2,134,489 Scherer Oct. 25, 1938 2,167,437 Hohl eta1. July 25, 1939 2,523,066 Seifert Sept. 19, 1950 2,678,755 Buras, Jr.May 18, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,491 Great Britain May 25, 1937

